BOOK SMART: Three novels that speak to the lost art of letter-writing

Saturday

Nov 18, 2017 at 12:01 AMMar 30, 2018 at 7:19 PM

Nancy Harris

With the holidays just around the corner, we often find ourselves thinking about reconnecting with family and friends, as well as nurturing new relationships — perhaps, even romantic ones. Amidst hectic days, it is surely easiest to fire off an email, text, or even Skype to reach out. But there may be powerful reasons to consider taking pen to paper and writing a letter instead.

The art of penning a handwritten letter hasn’t changed much since Roman times, but the tradition came under threat with the invention of email in 1971 and the decline has continued to accelerate ever since. The U.S. Postal Service reports a drop of 10 billion letters in the past 20 years. However, psychologists argue that it may not be wise to abandon this long standing cultural practice for the ease and convenience of more modern forms of communication.

Contemporary research suggests that letter writing has many positive mental health benefits for both the recipient and the letter writer alike.

The value of a handwritten letter for its recipient is that it is without a doubt an expression of time and care. Taking the time to select paper, carefully craft your words, purchase a stamp and mail cannot help but be noticed. In our frantic lives, a letter clearly says to someone, "You are important to me and I still have time for you."

Nothing feels so wonderful and builds confidence and self esteem as knowing that someone is thinking about you and making considerable effort to communicate their feelings, thoughts and sentiments. Text messages embellished with hearts and kissy face emojiis are simply not the same.

In addition to the satisfaction of knowing you have improved someone’s day by sending a letter, science has linked the act of letter writing to enhanced mood, reduced stress and overall improved well being. Martin Seligman, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania and an authority on depression, states that writing a letter of appreciation and gratitude improves both physical and mental health with effects that can last for weeks.

In a 2012 study, researcher Steven Toepfer asked 219 women to write three letters in three weeks. He discovered that letter writing over a continuous period can have positive cumulative effect on measures of personal happiness, life satisfaction and depressive symptoms.

Psychologists conclude that the value of writing a letter can have particular benefit following a trauma. According to a 2013 study in the Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine, writing down your feelings helps both physical and emotional wounds heal faster — helping the writer to both make sense of events and reduce stress.

It is argued that the act of letter writing is a practice in mindfulness and moment to moment reflection that often facilitates the expression of difficult affects like anger, shame and grief. New data show that physically handwriting a letter is significantly more emotionally engaging than digitally creating one. Becky Spelman suggests that letter writing is especially cathartic because, "it taps into a very personal part of our psyche and opens up parts of ourselves that often stay locked away."

Ironically, while psychologists provide compelling recent data about the value of letter writing for both writer and recipient, novelists have long recognized the power and import of letters and have often made them the vehicles with which they tell their story. Authors view personal letters as a timestamp in history, allowing the reader to truly appreciate the details of world as it was. Indeed, it was the only way available to the generations before us to keep love and caring alive and share written snapshots of the important moments in their lives.

The novels I am recommending do a wonderful job of reminding us just how powerful and profoundly moving letters can be and how much we stand to lose if we abandon this time-honored, traditional form of communication.

"Last Christmas In Paris: A Novel of World War I," by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb, is an extraordinarily poignant and compelling story of love, loss and renewal told solely through the shared correspondence of four friends during the long, painful years of World War I.

Best friends Will Elliott and Thomas Harding head off from England to fight the Germans at the outset of the war, leaving behind Will’s younger sister Evie and her close friend Alice Cuthbert. Like many they imagine swift victory and plan to reunite to celebrate Christmas in Paris.

But war changes people, priorities and dreams. For newly-minted recruits Thomas and Will, the cruel reality of life in the trenches quickly erodes innocence. Letter by letter, they share news of long, cold marches, lack of supplies and of course, the tragic loss of youthful friends.

But hope manages to survive amidst tragedy, in the blossoming friendship between Tom and Evie. For Evie Elliott, the war at first seems like a grand adventure denied to her by gender and privilege, where she can do nothing more than knit socks and await marriage proposals. Despite British propaganda boasting of victories, the war takes a tremendous human toll, leaving Evie and Alice grieving and desperate to do their part. Over the years, Tom and Evie grow close. But, can love actually bloom amidst the horror of war, or will fate leave them simply wondering what could have been?

"The Lost Letter," by Jillian Cantor, is an utterly captivating, eloquent and emotionally charged story of love lost and love found, that moves flawlessly between Austria in 1938 and Los Angeles in 1989.

The story begins in Austria in 1938. Kristoff is a young apprentice stamp engraver living in the home of his Jewish teacher. On Kristallnacht his beloved mentor is taken away and Kristoff is forced to quickly learn to engrave quality stamps for the Nazi regime.

The one bright spot is Elena, his mentor’s beautiful and passionate daughter. Together they work to send messages and forge documents for the Austrian resistance. As infatuation grows into love, so does the danger that surrounds them. Kristoff must now find a way to save Elena from death and possibly himself as well.

In Los Angeles in 1989, Katie Nelson is struggling with a new divorce and caring for her memory impaired father. While cleaning out the family home, she discovers what she hopes will be a valuable stamp on an old, unsent love letter.

When Katie takes it to Benjamin Grossman, a smart, young stamp appraiser- the two begin a powerful journey to discover the true story behind the stamp. Along the way they uncover the powerful and untold story of Elena and Kristoff.

"Lost Letter" is a story of love, sacrifice and courage. Will they find that Kristoff’s passion for Elena is strong enough to save her from the brutality of war? Is it possible that Benjamin and Elena will discover a love story of their own?

"The Letter," by Kathryn Hughes, is a beautifully told, often tragic but uplifting tale of resilience and determination in the face of adversity.

Tina Craig is a young woman trapped in an abusive marriage in 1973. She continues to hope that her husband’s alcohol fueled rage can change, despite evidence to the contrary.

One day while working in a thrift shop she discovers an old love letter written during World War II in which a heartbroken young man heading off to war begs his girlfriend Chrissie to forgive him for his own poor behavior. Despite personal heartbreak,Tina is determined to uncover the true story behind this love letter and return it to its rightful owner.

Told in alternating chapters, this tale of two women separated by decades, will leave you breathless. Will Tina succeed in her endeavor and, if so, does she discover that love can truly outweigh pain?

Book Smart is a monthly column by Nancy Harris of Scituate, a practicing psychologist and a former instructor of psychology at Harvard Medical School.